Administrative Proceedings Interpreters

Not all legal proceedings are heard in the courtroom by judges and juries. State and local government agencies also conduct various types of administrative hearings.

The Court and Administrative Proceedings Certification Law (Act 172 of 2006) requires the Department of Labor and Industry and the Court Administrator of Pennsylvania to establish parallel programs for the appointment and use of certified interpreters in administrative court proceedings.

To avoid the duplication and expense of establishing parallel programs, interpreters certified by the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts may be granted automatic certification for the purposes of and use in administrative hearings.

Requirements for Interpreters

All foreign and sign language interpreters working in administrative proceedings conducted by the various state and local agencies must be certified by the Interpreter Certification Program.

For additional information about the Department of Labor and Industry guidelines for interpreters, go to the Department Guidelines for Certified Interpreters Law page.

You can also access the Interpreter’s Law Guide to learn more about the types of administrative hearings conducted by the various state and local agencies. It contains a brief description of each agency, the types of hearing it conducts and a glossary of terms commonly encountered in the agency's administrative proceedings.